Count the Cost!

Please take your Bible and find Luke 14:25.  I want to share with you a message entitled, “Count the Cost.”

 

In Luke 14, we have been looking at what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  That word means a learner or student.

 

It is not a special class of Christians or a more mature group of Christians.  It is used in the NT synonymously with Christian, and it is found three times in today’s text: 26, 27, and 33.

 

What have we seen and heard in the recent Sundays?  First, a disciple of Jesus does the right thing even in the face of criticism.  Jesus did that when He healed the man with dropsy on the Sabbath at the home of a Pharisee.

 

Second, a disciple of Jesus demonstrates humility when we consider others more important than ourselves.  Jesus told us that whoever humbles himself will be exalted, and whomever exalts himself with be humbled. That is true on earth and in heaven.

 

Third, a disciple of Jesus decides that the only way to heaven is through a saving relationship with Jesus.  That happens when we RSVP for the supper in heaven.

 

Today, we are concluding Luke 14.  If you are going to be disciple of Jesus, you must count the cost of following Him, and followers of Jesus will devote everything of their lives and in their lives to Him.

 

Again, notice the phrase “My disciple” in today’s text: 26, 27, and 33.  Also, notice the phrase “count the cost” in verse 28.

 

Let’s stand for the reading of God’s word.  Follow along in your Bible or on the screens behind me.

 

 

Exposition

We begin in verse 25.  Great multitudes went with Jesus.  It is really important to remember where Jesus was headed.

 

He was on His way to Jerusalem.  See Luke 13:22.

 

22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

 

Why is this so important to remember?  What was going to happen in Jerusalem? 

 

Jesus was going to die on the cross.  He headed to death without fear and following God’s plan.

 

First, if you are going to be a follower of Jesus, it will cost your family.  Look at verse 26.  He said if anyone comes to Him and doesn’t hate family, he can’t be my disciple. 

 

For those of you who don’t know, let me be clear.  Jesus is not telling us we have to disobey explicit Bible commands to follow Him.

 

The 5^th commandment in Exodus 21 and then repeated in Ephesians 6:1 are crystal clear.

 

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

 

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

 

This word and idea for hate is different than ours.  It means to love less by comparison.  If you are follower of Jesus, you are to love your parents less than you love Jesus.

 

The Bible uses this language in a similar way elsewhere.  See Malachi 1:2-3.

 

2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.  “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?”  Says the Lord.  “Yet Jacob I have loved; 3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.”

 

For followers of Jesus, your loyalty has to be to Jesus first.  Family comes second. 

 

We have even seen this idea earlier in Luke. See Luke 12:51-53.

 

51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Second, if you are going to be a follower of Jesus, it will cost you personally and maybe even painfully.  Look at verse 27.

 

Jesus said you must bear your cross.  What did He mean?

 

The cross was the vilest means of execution.  It would be akin to our electric chair or firing squad. 

 

Rome made their criminals sentenced to die by crucifixion carry the cross beam through town.  Why?  It was a deterrent to crime, but it was also meant to demonstrate guilt of the criminal.

 

For followers of Jesus, the cross was a means to death.  Jesus was going to die. 

 

Therefore, you and I would have to die…not physically but to ourselves and being the one in control.  Now, Jesus would be in control.

 

Third, if you are going to be a follower of Jesus, it will cost you entirely.  Look at verse 33.

 

Followers of Jesus must forsake all, and the implication is every part of your life.  When I baptized Dilan, he wasn’t holding his wallet out of the water.  He wasn’t holding his wedding ring out of the water.

 

If you’re going to be a follower of Jesus, you must not hold anything back.  That includes your marriage and your job and your kids and your checkbook and your hobbies and your language and your recreation.

 

 

Illustration

To illustrate Jesus’ point of counting the cost, He told two parables. They are in verses 28-32.

 

The first is the parable of the tower.  The point is simply this.  If you are going to be build a tower and finish building a tower, you better make sure you know what all is involved money wise so that you don’t run out of money and look like an idiot.

 

The second parable is about having to go to war.  If you only have 10,000 troops to fight 20,000 troops, you probably should consider making peace.

 

The point of this parable is not that we can negotiate with Jesus.  The point is that Jesus requires total surrender of His followers.

 

 

Conclusion

Our text concludes with an invitation to hear and act in verse 34.  It also concludes with a reminder about salt.

 

In the first century, salt was used to season, to preserve, and to fertilize. However, if it has become contaminated by another element such as gypsum, the effectiveness of the salt has significantly decreased.

 

Jesus said it would have lost its flavor.  Consequently, it was no good for the land or even pile of waste.  It just needed to be thrown out.

 

In other words, if you claim to be a follower of Jesus, your life ought to look like it.  Otherwise, of what use are you?  Will you be thrown out?